Philip Rogers Elementary School

Writing and photography are composition processes that help develop children's linguistic and visual competencies, respectively. Using photography in teaching writing has been found to enhance students' literacy skills by naturally invoking their interest and motivation, and eventually strengthening the reading-writing relationship. Children can combine pictures and writing to tell real or imagined stories, containing personal meaning and looking at the world through their unique lenses. This article describes a 4th-grade photography and informational writing project. It discusses the positive outcomes of using students' own photographs as a stimulus for informational writing—a way of integrating literacy with other subjects and motivating students to write interesting, relevant, and creative texts. Complementing composition through words with composition through images can have a powerful impact on student motivation and learning.